By Garikai Chaunza Harare, December 01, 2011 - As the world prepares to commemorate World Aids Day on Thursday, Zimbabwe HIV, AIDS and Tuberculosis programmes have suffered yet another big blow after the Global fund cancelled round 11 of its funding, Radio VOP can reveal.

The country last year suffered after it lost round 10 of Global funding on HIV and AIDS when its request of US$170 million for HIV and US$50 million for TB was dismissed. The Global fund this week announced yet another cancellation of its round 11 funding whose applications were due in March 2012.

In a statement to all the nations this week UNAIDS advised countries, donors, and other partners to come up with new strategies of generating new resources and optimise AIDS-related investments because the Global fund was unable to fund AIDS programmes.

“This announcement could jeopardise global efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6—to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2015.This delay could keep countries from their efforts to save lives."

In an interview in Harare Wednesday Co-ordinator of the Zimbabwe Country Co-ordinating Mechanism for the Global Fund Rangarirai Chiteure said they have received the news with sadness.

“Yes the massage came to us last week at a time we were busy sorting out our application for the cancelled round 11 of Global funding in which we were requesting US$40 million for HIV and AIDS and US$20 million for TB. But as a country we are still safe because we still have some funds which were left for the second phase of the Global fund round 8 which can sustain us up to 2013.It should also be known that Global fund contribute 35% of HIV, AIDS and TB programming in the country with 65% coming from government and other development partners whom we believe will continue contributing,“ he said.

In 2008 Zimbabwe was accused of abusing part of the Global fund meant for AIDS patients when it was channelled to the government through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

The country now banks on it bankrupt government for AIDS funding which in 2012 national budget allocated the entire health ministry US$365 million against its requirement of at least US$ 700 million.